You're not alone. Here's a safe place, a growing place, a way out of the shadows of grief . . . This blog provides resources and Biblical direction for helping you trust Jesus through one of life's most difficult challenges.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

A daily Bible reading habit offers food for thought, knowledge of God and his ways, and every once in a while
a shocking surprise!

On our private Facebook widows group
Lifeboat, we've had several widows who gave birth after their husbands
died, and a few who's husband's died when their children were very young babies.
My heart goes out to these women. As I try to pray for them intelligently, I
wonder about their daily routines and how they feel. When I put myself in
their shoes, I can pray for specific things for them. And sometimes I struggle
with the hard questions life's fairness and suffering in
general.

One particular day I was thinking about these women while doing
my Bible reading in 1 Chronicles. I won't come right out and say it's boring,
but I will say the only time one would read 1 Chronicles is if they've promised to read through the entire Bible, or if they want fall
asleep at night!

In order to stay on task I had to literally
follow the lines with my finger. And then God socked it to me! As I was
thinking about these widows who were pregnant when their husband's died this verse came up:

1 Chronicles 2:24 (NIV)After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah the wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

Oh my goodness! There was a pregnant widow in Bible times! It
was as if God told me, "I know. I've been through this with other widows, too. I
put this verse here for you, and I leaned your thoughts towards this verse today. Nothing takes me by surprise. They're all
in my hands, they'll be OK."

By the way, Ashhur, the baby born to the
widow, grew up to be the founding father of the village of Tekoa in Israel. This
town still exists! This baby, raised by a widow, made a name for himself and
left a strong legacy that has survived for thousands of years!

This
reminds me of another verse:Romans 8:18 (NIV)I consider that our
present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed
in us.

God has a good purpose and hope for widows today, too; for
Joannah, Crystal, Christine, Wendy, Carol and many more . . .

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Ferree's book ...

"...one of the BEST books I've read for Widows!" Kathy E., widow

You're Invited . . .

Take hope, my friend, join in and watch the darkness turn to light and gather strength for your journey. You'll see the ways others have struggled, survived and thrived. You'll discover key Scriptures and insights from God's Word that will feed your soul and give you hope. Click on the Memorial Wall tab above, pray for these women and add your own listing. This blog is about you and God's work in the hearts of widows!

As we grieve, life continues on around us; we need to make adjustments and function inspite of our struggles. So this blog not only addresses grief and gives you role models, it also looks at the single-living skills, spiritual disciplines, laughter, rest and the renewing worship you'll need to juggle.

Some articles are food for thought, some are quick and helpful tips, and every once in a while we'll get just plain silly because laughter is still good medicine.

There's a new life waiting to meet you, and a new hope waiting to bloom in your heart. But don't worry about that for now. God knows you want your old life back. He understands. So for now, just visit, rest, relax and renew for the journey ahead.

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